


Companions

by Dawnweaver



Series: Dreamfast With Me [3]
Category: Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal Series - J.M. Lee, Sanders Sides (Web Series), The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:27:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25073854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dawnweaver/pseuds/Dawnweaver
Summary: Janus had intended to travel alone but after stopping for the night to rest and resupply in Sami Thicket, he finds he won't be leaving alone in the morning.
Series: Dreamfast With Me [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1810300
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	Companions

Janus cursed the further he got from the Sog. Everything was so dry here. From the air around him to the ground beneath his feet. The ground was what was causing him the most trouble, blistering his bare feet, he should have thought ahead and gotten a pair boots before leaving, but he hadn’t thought, shoes only slow you down in the Sog. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all, but he’d be damned if he was going to live his entire life in one place when there was so much more out there.

  
Seeker was having a grand time though; he was rather jealous of eel-like creature. The muski was leaping and diving through the tall grass around him, finding crawlies to snack on hidden among it. Voices caught Janus’s attention and he whistled sharply for Seeker to return. Seeker did, draping his long body over the Gelfling’s shoulders.

  
Janus flicked his ears trying to find the direction the voices were coming from. Once determined, he made his way towards them. They sounded like Gelfling and while Janus was loath to talk to strangers, he wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to get a little help and the suns were setting, it would better to have a safe place to stay for the night. Making his way through the tall grass he finally found an opening into a clearing. A pair of Gelfling were near a small herd of landstriders. One of them was obviously Spriton, the other he wasn’t sure, Grottan maybe. What was a Grottan doing way out here?

  
The Spriton boy was introducing the other to a young landstrider calf excitedly. Janus moved farther into the clearing. The Grottan boy noticed his presence first, they locked eyes and Janus stopped as the other squinted at him as if trying to discern if he was a threat or not. The Spriton seeming to sense his friend’s attention looked away from the landstrider calf to see what had caught his attention.

  
It took a moment for the Spriton to spot him in dimming light as the Third Brother jad begun to dip below the horizon. But once he did, he smiled, “Hi! I’m just meeting all sorts of new people lately!”

  
Janus was slightly taken aback by the Spriton’s cheery demeanor, he’d expected to be met with suspicion and caution not this. The other mumbled something quietly, still eyeing with the suspicion he’d expected. The Spriton boy shook his head in fond exasperation before grabbing the other’s hand and dragging him over to Janus. “Oh, it’ll be fine, come one let’s introduce ourselves! I’m Patton, this is Virgil!”

  
“Janus,” He said, still a little taken back by the cheeriness. He gestured to the muski draped around his shoulders, “and this is Seeker. I was wondering if I could find a place to rest for the night somewhere nearby and perhaps resupply a little, I didn’t pack much before I left.”

  
“Well, you’ve come to the right place!” said the Spriton, Patton, “Sami Thicket’s just over the hill there, I’m sure Maudra Mera won’t mind if you stay for the night, especially since you’re one of our Drenchen neighbors, yeah?”

  
“Yes,” Janus nodded, “Maudra Laesid said to head there first when I told her I was leaving, since the Spriton are our closest neighbors.”  
“We were about to head back ourselves; would you like to join us?”

  
Janus hid his grimace at the thought but thought it best to be respectful, the last thing he needed was for Patton to think he was rude and take that back to the Maudra he was asking hospitality from. “It would be my pleasure.”

  
“Great! This way!” Patton took the lead, saying farewell to the landstriders as he went. The Grotton boy, Virgil, Patton had said, fell into step beside Janus.  
“So, you’re from the Sog?”

  
Janus nodded, “And you’re from the Caves of Grot?”

  
Virgil hummed an affirmative and there was silence for a moment before Janus felt safe to ask, “What brings a Shadowling so far from home?”  
Virgil grimaced, “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  
“That’s fair,” said Janus, “I have my own stories I’d rather keep close to my chest.” Gesturing to his scarred face.

  
“Yeah, I was going to ask about that but I won’t press.” As they crested the top of the hill, the bustling village of Sami Thicket came into view nestled within a small forest.

  
“Well, here we are!” Patton said. “I’ll show you to the Maudra, she’s usually in the square this time of day.”

  
He fell back in step with Janus and Virgil, “What did you say your little friend there’s name was?”

  
“Seeker,” Janus answered, “He’s a muski, they help us retrieve kills and our weapons from the Sog during hunts.”

  
“Well he’s a cutie that’s for sure.” Patton reached to scratch Seeker under the chin, “May I?”

  
Janus nodded and Seeker preened under the attention, quills perking up a bit before lying back down smooth, “Don’t let him hear you say that too much, it’ll go to his head.”

  
Once Patton was done, Seeker slipped from Janus’s shoulders and moved to Virgil’s, the Grottan boy stiffened under the muski’s weight, “Um…”

  
Janus snorted, “He says it’s your turn.”

  
Virgil hesitantly reached up and scratched under Seeker’s chin like Patton head done. The muski trilled happily. Janus shook his head, “Alright, that’s enough you attention hungry creature.”  
Seeker gave him the stink eye but returned to his shoulders nonetheless. “Don’t give me that look, you know it’s true.”

  
As they made their way into the village square, the lanterns were being lit as the last of the three Brothers disappeared beyond the horizon and the three Sisters took their place. Someone was bustling around the square busily, he guessed this was Maudra Mera. His guess was right when she turned to see them approaching and Patton greeted her respectfully.

  
“Oh, Patton, not another one.” The Maudra grumbled to herself. “How many lost Gelfing are you going to bring home?”

  
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Maudra Mera.” Janus bowed briefly, “I am Janus from Great Smerth, I merely wished to ask if I could stay the night and resupply for my journey.”

  
“Very well, one night, Patton here, can get you the things you need.” Mera turned her attention to the third member of their party, “Virgil, was it? I believe it is time for you to move on as well, perhaps you should follow suit and leave in the morning.”

  
“What? But—” Patton started in defense of his friend.

  
“It’s fine, Pat, I don’t want to overstay my welcome.” Virgil said looking rather resigned.

  
“That’s not fair!” Patton cried. “Maudra Mera, please reconsider, Virgil doesn’t have anywhere else to go!”

  
“I’ve made my decision and that’s final Patton.” said Mera. “I cannot justify the risk of another Gelfling from a different clan being here when the Skeksis come for another census. We got away with it when Laesid’s daughter was here but she moved on quickly enough, so should your friend.”

  
Janus hadn’t planned to consider a traveling partner other than Seeker but when did his go the way they were supposed to anyway. “Virgil could travel with me if he would prefer.”

  
He was met with three pairs of startled eyes. The Maudra recovered first, “See, Patton, your friend will be fine.”

  
Patton still looked frustrated, “Well, if Virgil’s leaving then I’m going with him.”

  
“Pat, you don’t have to do that, I’ll be fine.” Virgil argued.

  
“Nope, I’m going with you,” It was clear Patton wasn’t going to list to any other argument.

  
Maudra Mera sighed, “Well I suggest you prepare for your journey then and get a good night’s rest, it would be best if you leave at first light.”

  
Janus was stunned, the only thing he’d planned to leave with in the morning, was more supplies and maybe a pair of shoes, now he’d be leaving with two companions as well. Though the more he thought about it as Patton showed them around the village, the more he found he wasn’t as completely averse to the idea as he thought.


End file.
